Foldable settee



May 17, 1932. w, c, ULlNE 1,858,254

FOLDABIJE SETTEE Filed Jan. 22, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l v INVENTOR.

Wd/Z? 6 [(16716 A w BY ATTORNEY.

May 17, 1932. w, c, uLlNE 1,858,254

'FOLDABLE SETTEE Filed Jan. 22. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented May 17, 1932 UNETED STATES WALTER C. ULINE, F NAPPANEE, INDIANA FOLDABLE SETTEE Application filed January 22, 1930. Serial No. 422,624.

The invention relates to folding settees, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which is light in weight, cheap to manufacture, of strong construction, and

5, foldable within a small compass for storing, shipping and the like, the device beingparticularly adapted for use as a piece of porch or lawn furniture.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which front and rear units of pivoted legs interconnected in lazy tongs manner support the settee, said leg units being reinforced by an adjustable strut member.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which seat rails carried by leg units hold canvas or other strong foldable material to form a seat, and back supporting members pivotally connected to the seat rails hold foldable back forming material, the leg units, seatand back being arranged whereby they may fold together in a compact manner.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a vertical adjustable strut reinforcing the leg units intermediate their ends, said strut being adapted to support the leg units when the device is in operative position and to be extended to accommodate the folding of the leg units.

A further object is to provide a device of this character with means whereby the material forming the seat may be clamped to the seat rails and securely held in operative relation thereto throughout its width.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having front and rear units of leg members pivotally interconnected in lazy tongs manner by which seat rails are carried, said seat rails mounting the seat and having pivotally connected thereto suitable back supporting members and arm rests; said leg units and seat being foldable longitudinally, the outer back supporting members and arm rests being foldable against the outer ends of the device, and the center back supporting member being foldable upon the central seat rail. 7

With the above and other objects in View, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the settee in operative position.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the settee in partially folded position.

Figure 8 is aperspective view of the settee in completely folded position.

' Figure tis a view in side elevation of the vertical supporting strut showing the extended position thereof in dotted lines.

Figure 5 is a View in front elevation of the vertical supporting strut showing the extended position thereof in dotted lines.

Figure 6 is an end view of one of the seat rails showing the manner in which the settee arm-and back supporting member are carried thereby, the folded position of these members being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the seat rails illustrating the manner in which the canvas is clamped thereto.

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the end of the intermediate seat rail showing the connection of the lazy tongs thereto.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 10 and 11 designatefront and rear leg units, respectively, which carry end seat rails 12 and center seat rail 13 between which extends a sheet of canvas or other suitable material 14 to form a seat; and pivotally connected to the seat rails 12 and 13 are back supporting members 15 between which extends a sheet of canvas to form the back of the settee.

Each of the leg units 10 and 11 preferably comprises four legs 17 which are arranged in pairs, the legs of each pair being pivotally connected at their centers, as at 18, said pairs of legs being pivotally connected together at their ends, as at 19, to form units; the legs of each leg unit thus being interconnected in lazy tongs manner. The lower ends of the legs of each unit carry spacer members 20, and at their upper ends the legs 17 carry the outer and central seat rails 12 and 13, respectively, the legs whose upper ends carry the central seat rail 13 having a pivotal connection therewith by means of brackets 21 carried by the central seat rail.

Extending between the central spacer 20 and the under side of the central seat rails 13 intermediate the leg units is a strut member 22 adapted to support the center of the settee and to reinforce the leg units. The strut member 22 is comprisedof two vertically disposed bars, one bar 23 being carried by abracket 24 carried by the central spacer member 20, and the other bar 25 being carried in face contact with bar 23'by a bracket 26 carried by the central seat rail 13. Guide members 27 and 28 are carried by the bars 23 and 25,.respectively, and act to hold the bars 23 and 25 together in parallel face contact but permit them to move longitudinally with relation toeach other. Pivot'ally carried by the seat rail 13 adjacent the strut 22 is a U- shaped locking member 29 which is adapted to fit. into locking notches 30 formedin one side of the bars 23 and 25 to lock said bars against movement relative to each other, said notches 30 registering when the legunits are in operative position. An arm 31 having one end thereof pivotally carried by the locking member 29 forms means whereby a pivotal movement of the-locking, member 29 may be effected, the-outer end of saidarm being carriedlby the seat rail 13 by means of a stud 32 projecting. from: the seat rail and through a slot 33 formedin the arm 31 adjacent the end thereof. Anarm341formed at the outer end of arm13l facilitates gripping thereof, and a spring 35' carried by. the seat rail 13 engages the arm131: to'normally hold said arm in retracted. locked position. Upon release of the locking member 29 from the locking notches in the bars 23 and 25 the strut is permitted to be extended, as shown in dotted lines in Figures tcand 5', toaccommodate the lengthening ofthe distance between the spacer 20 and the seat rail 13 caused by folding of the'leg units.

Bars 36- are pivotally connected with the endseat rails 12 by means of hinges 37 and the end backi supporting members 15. are mounted on said bars, said end back supporting members being adapted to swing outwardly'through an arc of 180 degrees with re lationto the settee so that said members may lay alongside said leg. units when folded in stead. of projecting outwardly therefrom. The arm supporting posts 38 are also mounted on the bars 36, and the arms 39 are carried byt-heposts 38 and the back supporting members 15, said arms thus being adapted to pivot with the back supporting members. A bar4=0is carried by the central seat rail 13, and to the rear end of this bar is hinged the centralhack supporting member 15 by means ofthe hinge 41,v whereby this central back supporting member may fold forwardly into superposed relation with the bar 40, as shown in Figure 2. Each of the back supporting members 15 has an enlarged portion 42 formed substantially centrally therein to provide a shoulder to position the lower end of the back forming piece of canvas 16, and has an enlarged knob t3 formed at the upper end thereof to prevent the canvas from slipping off of said members. The ends and center of the canvas back 16 are provided with loops 14 which are easily fitted over and around the back supporting members and which rest upon the shoulders formed by the upper ends of portions 12 thereof.

Each of the seat rails 12 and 13 is provided with a. longitudinally extending groove 45 on its upper face intowhich a metal bar 46 of slightly smaller width and thickness is adapted to be disposed and held by means of screws 47, the bars 16 carried by the outer seat rails 12 forming means to clamp the ends of the canvas sheet 14. forming the seat tothe seat rails in said grooves 45, and the bar carried by the central seat rail 13 positioning the center of the seat forming canvas so that it will not be unduly stretched when only one side of the settee is used. These metal clamping bars 4E6'hold the canvas firm- 'ly in place throughout its width, andv form meanswhereby the canvas seat may be easily adjusted to take up the stretch thereofby loosening the bars and stretching the'canvas, said canvas or other fabric forming the seat being required to betaut when the settee. is arranged in operative position. In the under sides of the seat rails 12 are formed V- shaped'longitudinal grooves 48 which are so positioned with. respect to the pivot point 49 of the hinge 37 that the grooveswill receive an edge of the bars 36, as shown in Figure 6, when the settee is folded up, thus permitting the leg carried by the seat rail and the back supporting member to be folded in substantially parallel relation.

The settee is shown in operative position in Figure 1; and in Figure 2 it is shown. in partially folded position, the locking member 29 having been released from the locking notches in the strut bars to permit the strut 22 to be extended and the leg units to be folded together. The partial folding of the legs as shown in. Figure 2 is sufficient to slacken the seat member 14 and the back member 16 whereby the loops at of the back may be removed from the end back supporting members and the back may be laid upon the seat member 1 1 by forward pivotal movement of the central back supporting member.. Upon the removal of the back therefrom, the end back supporting members may be swung outwardly for 180 degrees and the legs completely folded so that the settee assumes the position shown in Figure 3 in which it 00- cupies a minimum of space.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In a settee, front and rear units of leg members pivotally interconnected in lazy tongs manner, spacers extending between the lower ends of said leg units, seat rails carried by the upper ends of said leg-units, and a strut extending between the center seat rail and the center spacer to support said leg units in operative position.

2. In a settee, front and rear units of leg members pivotally interconnected in lazy tongs manner, spacers connecting the lower ends of said leg units, seat rails carried by said leg units, and a strut carried by said leg units, said strut comprising a vertical bar carried by one of said spacers, a bar carried by one of said seat rails and contacting said first named bar, and means adapted to lock said bars in operative supporting position.

3. In a settee, front and rear units of leg members pivotally interconnected in lazy tongs manner, spacers connecting the lower ends of said leg units, seat rails carried vby said leg units, and a strut supporting said leg units in operative position, said strut comprising a vertical bar carried by one of said spacers, a bar carried by one of said seat rails in face contact with said first named bar, guide members for guiding the movement of said bars one relative to the other, and means for locking said bars in operative position.

4. In a settee, front and rear units of leg members pivotally interconnected in lazy tongs manner, spacers connecting the lower ends of said leg units, seat rails carried by said leg units, and a strut supporting said leg units in operative position, said strut comprising a vertical bar carried by one of said spacers, a bar carried by one of said seat rails in face contact with said first named bar, guide members holding said bars in face contact and guiding the movement thereof one relative to the other, and spring pressed means for locking said bars in operative position.

5. In a settee, front and rear units of leg members pivotally interconnected in lazy tongs manner, spacers connecting the lower ends of said leg units, seat rails carried by said leg units, and a strut supporting said leg units in operative position, said strut comprising a vertical bar carried by one of said spacers, a bar carried by one of said seat rails in face contact with said first named bar, guide members guiding the movement of said bars one relative to the other, said bars having locking notches formed therein, and means adapted to engage said notches to lock said bars in operative position.

6. In a settee, front and rear units of leg members pivotally interconnected in lazy tongs manner, spacers connecting the lower ends of said leg units, seat rails carried by said leg units, and a strut supporting sald leg units in operative positon, said strut comprising a vertical bar carried by one of said spacers, a bar carried by one of said seat rails in face contact withthe first named bar, guide members guiding the movement of said bars one relative to the other, said bars having locking notches formed therein, a locking member engageable in said notches to lock said bars in operative position, and a spring controlling said locking member to hold it in looking position. i

7. In a settee, front and-rear units of leg members pivotally interconnected in lazy tongs manner, spacers connecting the lower ends of said leg units, seatv rails carried by said leg units, and a strut supporting said leg units inoperative position,said strut comprising a vertical bar carried by one of said spacers, a bar carried by one of said seat rails in face contact with said first named bar, said bars having locking notches formed therein, guide members guiding the move ment of the bars one relative to the other, a locking member pivotally carried by said seat rail and engageable in said notches to lock said bars in operative position, and a spring adapted to hold said locking member in locking position.

8. In a settee, front and rear units of leg members pivotally interconnected in lazy tongs manner, spacers connecting the lower ends of the leg units, seat rails carried by said legs unit-s, and a strut supporting said leg units in operative position, said strut comprising a vertical bar carried by one of said spacers, a bar carried by one of said seat rails in face contact with said first named bar, said bars having locking notches formed therein, guide members guiding the movement of the bars one relative to the other, a

locking member engageable in said locking notches, an operating arm carried by said locking members, and a spring engaging said operating arm to hold said locking member in operative position.

9. In a settee, front and rear units of foldable legs, seat rails carried by said legs, bars carried by said outer seat rails and adapted to swing in an arc partially about said rails and in parallel relation thereto, back supporting members carried by said bars, said outer seat rails having longitudinal grooves formed in the bottom sides thereof adapted to receive an edge of the bar when folded to permit the leg carrying the seat rail and the back supporting member carried by said bar to assume substantially parallel positions when the settee is folded.

10. In a settee, front and'rear units of pivotally connected legs, seat rails carried by said legs .units, bars pivotally carried by said rails and adapted to swing in an are partially thereabout, back supporting members carried by said bars, said rails each having a V-shaped groove formed in the bottom thereof adapted to receive a corner portion of said bar whereby said back supporting members may be positioned substantially parallel said legs.

11. In a settee, front and rear units of leg members pivotally interconnected in lazy tongs manner, spacers extending between the lower ends of said leg units, seat rails carried by the upper ends of said leg units, and a strut extending between the center seat rail and the center spacer to support said leg units in operative position said strut comprising a pair of members shiftable relative to each other to accommodate folding of said leg units, and means locking said strut against extension.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WALTER C. ULINE. 

